J&R Team Shines Under Chula Showers

Scott Angus and his team have not missed a beat since hanging up their green and white of 2009 and trading it in for a snazzy new J&R uni, which debuted in Reno. Scott sent in a race report to let BMXNEWS readers know how things went in Chula Vista.

After pulling into Chula Vista on Friday night to set up the team tent with the rain pouring down, I was surprised to see that the ABA was running the pre-race mains. I had a flashback of ABA’s SoCal National mud fest at Cutting Edge in February of 2001! I thought the track would be destroyed for the remainder of the weekend. However, the ABA and volunteers did a great job getting the track ready for Saturday’s practice. After a rain event went through during Saturday’s practice, the ABA instituted a one moto transfer system for Saturday’s National. This worked out good to keep things on schedule and avoid the next rain event that came in later that night (see picture below). For Sunday’s racing, a few soft spots were left over from Saturday’s drenching, but the track was still in decent shape for racing! Thank you ABA and volunteers.

As for the J&R Bicycles/Intense team was concerned, we were looking to build upon our season opener in Reno where the team took two wins. Even with the bad weather and a few kids not feeling well, the team pulled in two more victories for the weekend. Aboard their new, lighter, 2010 Podium frames, Sinz carbon forks, Alienation hoops with the Intense micro knobby tires, the team was looking good all weekend with a total of 13 wins!

Nick “Little Diva” Tuttle, soon to be Vet Diva, led the team with a double in the 28-35x and 26-30 cruiser classes. Ryan Pettigrew had three wins for the weekend, and just missing a win in Sunday’s 11x main. Lauren Whisler, after a couple of second place finishes on Saturday, came back strong on Sunday with wins in 14 girls and the combined 14-16/17-20 girls cruiser class. Zack “The Scorpion” Vankammen took two fourths in 15x and a first / second place in 15 cruiser. The gutsy performance of the weekend belongs to K.J. Romero. With a cold/bronchitis that just got worse as the weekend went by, managed to pull in a first and a second place in 17-20 cruiser— ditto in 17-18x. “Little Man” Levi Pope, had two fourth place finishes in 10 cruiser, and a seventh and third place in 10x. Robert Raymonde, still healing from some banged up ribs suffered at a mountain bike race, finished with a fifth and sixth place in 41-45 cruiser, and seventh and eigth place in 41x. Jason Morris brings home some money with a fourth and seventh place in A Pro.

Welcome to our newest team member, Cody Shelton, 16x. Last year in Chula Vista, Cody broke both of his wrists, requiring extensive surgery. The good news is that the wrists are feeling good, and has been training to get back to racing next month.

I want to send a special thanks to Kirk and Bert Morrison at J & R Bicycles (www.jrbicycles.com) for sponsoring the team, along Pete Dylewski and Toby Henderson at Intense, Sinz, and T.H.E. (www.vsiproducts.com), Greg Skibel at Troy Lee Designs (www.troyleedesigns.com), Jerry & Zach at Alienation (www.alienationbmx.com), and Colby and Dave at ODI Grips (www.odigrips.com).

Outside the BMX industry, Star Software Consulting, Bryan A. Stirrat & Associates (A Tetra Tech Company), Surf City Garage, Kronmuller Konstruction, Stephens Plumbing, Western Industrial Technologies, MLH Contracting, Central City Enterprises, and Helix Electric have made past and present contributions to significantly help our program over the years.

—Scott Angus, Team Manager

Thanks to Dan Mooney at ABA / BMXer Magazine for the photo

ABA So. Cal Nats Go From Runny to Sunny

It is said that the most prepared for adverse weather are the ones who deal with it most. That’s probably why a few snowflakes in Dallas paralyze the city for a day or two, while Minnesotans believe any amount below the roofline is “nooo big deal.” The ABA has tons of experience in facing a stormy Mother Nature, come race day—and this experience is expanded in what seems like annual installments at the So Cal Nationals.

BMXNEWS decided to hit Oldsmar this month instead of Chula Vista, so we are relying on our network of tipsters and Tweeters for the 411.

Looks like 161 motos today, which is a way-solid number, considering the talk throughout the week about staying away due to the impending inclement weather. The weather has been pretty wet throughout Friday, and into Saturday…but there have been dry periods, and even patches of sun from time to time.

ABA made the predictable, and very welcomed (by most) call to go with one moto transfer (as they did last year in Lake Perris), and the first gate dropped about 2:45PM Pacific Time. As of that time, there was more threatening weather offshore, but they were going to try and get the race in (well, actually, since the first gate dropped, the race is “official” so any action hereafter would be a postponement). Rain looks like it will be in the picture til about Noon or 1PM tomorrow.

The A Pro class was well populated, with Sharrah, Cook and Peebles taking rack one. Stair, Cushman, Langland took the second rack, and Morris, Miller and Lee the Flea in the third rack in the first round.

The track is reported as “decent” with some soft spots where the tarps may have missed. And getting to staging is “marshy.”

A couple results from the mains:

A Pro: Sharrah, Cook, Cushman, Miller

USAC Jr. Devo Girls: George, Glynn

USAC Jr. Devo Boys: Nesvig, Miranda

BMXNEWS will post some highlights from Sunday’s race on Tuesday afternoon

Thanks to Bill Ryan from Supercross BMX for the photo and contributing to this report.